SC seeks reply from Centre, states on PIL seeking dialysis unit in each district

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the state governments on a plea for opening a dialysis unit in each district. The plea said that two lakh people are losing their lives every year in the country due to kidney problems.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam agreed to hear the PIL and issued notice to the Centre and all the states and asked them to file the response on the plea.

The PIL said number of kidney patients are rising in the country and sought a direction to the states to initiate steps to prevent incidents of kidney failure and related renal diseases by having at least one dialysis centre in each district throughout the country.

It said due to kidney failure, there are two deaths every five minutes, 547 deaths everyday and two lakh deaths annually in the country.

"According to National Kidney Foundation, there are about 7.85 million people are suffering from renal diseases...out of whom about 31.2 to 41 percent are having chronic kidney diseases (CKD).

"Only 22.5 percent of the people suffering from kidney- related diseases get treatment through dialysis. We have about 950 nephrologists across the country available for treatment of renal diseases," the PIL was filed by Sanjeeb Panigrahi said.

The plea also said that according to the estimates of Union Health Ministry, the country needs at least 50,000 dialysis machines but it has 20 per cent of the requirement. It also sought direction to take measures to minimize the deaths due to kidney problems.

The PIL said regulations or quality control mechanisms should be ensured for the units run by the private hospitals with respect to the supportive care to provide efficacious medical support to people suffering from chronic kidney/renal diseases and in need of dialysis at regular intervals in their life.